Water, Waitangi, ownership and power

Posted on 17th Jul, 2012 by Puddleglum

Water-Power?

There’s a reason why we talk about property rights. Owning property without having any rights to it makes as much sense as having rights to something without owning it in some way.

‘Water rights’ and ‘water ownership’ are, in all practical senses, sub-species of the same thing. If they aren’t then no farmer could complain if I suspended a large bucket from a long rod, while standing on a public pathway, and collected all the water that dropped from an irrigator before it reached the farmer’s paddock. But of course a farmer could complain.

To have a right to ‘use’ is, in effect, to own something for a certain purpose, for a certain time.

I’ll put it as bluntly as I can: rights are owned and ownership is a right. Of course there are different sorts of rights and different types of ownership, but there’s no need to bother with legal definitions and subtleties – look at the behaviours that the state does or doesn’t allow when it comes to water ‘rights’ and – then – it’s plain that what we’re talking about with ‘water rights’ is a form of ownership.

But when it comes to the present controversy over the New Zealand Maori Council’s claims at the Waitangi Tribunal, ownership of exactly what is at stake? The answer isn’t straightforward. But here’s a clue – it’s not ownership of water itself, or of water rights. Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Economics, Free Market, Freedom, Maori, National Identity, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Water, Waitangi, ownership and power

Getting ‘stuck in’ to employment

Posted on 11th Jul, 2012 by Puddleglum

Getting ‘stuck in’ employment

Recently, Rodney Hide related his experiences as a manual labourer, doing casual jobs for a builder, digger driver and retaining wall builder.

Hide drew a lesson from his experience about the motivation of the unemployed. Basically, it amounted to the conclusion that unemployment would vanish if only the unemployed weren’t so picky and just got “stuck in“.

I had a similar experience 30 years ago. Unlike Hide, I drew lessons about the nature of employment itself. So maybe it’s time to take Hide’s advice and ‘get stuck in’ to employment. Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Freedom, Human Nature, Human Wellbeing, Labour, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

A better term than ‘breeding for a business’

Posted on 29th May, 2012 by Puddleglum

 

Pregnant with possibility

Back in 2002, some years before scaling the heights to the Prime Ministerial summit, John Key said that Labour’s Domestic Purposes Benefit policy had led to a situation “where people have been, for want of a better term, breeding for a business“.

Maybe the better term was one of those he applied in 2011 to beneficiaries who resorted to food parcels – well after attaining the Prime Ministership:

Mr Key responded by saying it was true that the global recession meant more people were on benefits.

“But it is also true that anyone on a benefit actually has a lifestyle choice. If one budgets properly, one can pay one’s bills.

“And that is true because the bulk of New Zealanders on a benefit do actually pay for food, their rent and other things. Now some make poor choices and they don’t have money left.”

Perhaps those in the ‘breeding business’ that is, have simply made a ‘lifestyle choice’ or – if the lifestyle is deemed not to be a good one – ‘poor choices’?

Or maybe not. Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Human Wellbeing, New Zealand Politics, Welfare | Tagged , , , , , | 26 Comments

Under cover, under hand and under the radar – ‘all about sport’ in Christchurch

Posted on 15th May, 2012 by Puddleglum

Is it cricket?

The Prime Minister, John Key, has come out in favour of a “world-class covered stadium” for Christchurch.

At the time of writing, opinion on the accompanying stuff poll is split 52% in favour and 48% opposed (485 votes). It has to be added, though, that the comments were running overwhelmingly against the idea.

Of six options put forward by the Christchurch City Council, a 35,000 seat capacity covered stadium is the most expensive, at $144m. John Key favours it, apparently in his heart of hearts: “I really believe that Christchurch can support a world-class covered stadium.“.

Meanwhile, in what amounts to an interesting pincer movement – whether by accident or design – Key’s Deputy, Bill English, apparently favours Christchurch following the government’s lead and part-selling its assets to fund its expensive recovery.

The Prime Minister does state that “In the end, what’s built and how it’s paid for is largely a matter for Cantabrians,” but putting the Prime Ministerial weight behind one option is, at best, imprudent and, at worst, mischievous.

As a lot of the comments on the article reflect, there’s an already inflamed context into which this opinion has been dropped like a still burning fag-end onto a tinder-dry roadside. Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Earthquakes, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

City in a box

Posted on 29th Apr, 2012 by Puddleglum

"The building aims to create a gateway to the square"

It was meant to be the ‘City in a Park’.

But, according to a Press editorial, a lot of people in Christchurch have taken a look at the future and they don’t like what they see:

The artists’ impressions of buildings planned for Christchurch, published in last weekend’s Press, have produced an overwhelmingly negative response.

Almost nobody writing to the editor likes them. Brutal, unimaginative, banal are words commonly used, and many think the prospect of a beautiful new Christchurch has been shattered.

What they’ve been looking at is this. The site was apparently set up to excite and reassure people that. as the editorial puts it, “we could construct a gleaming future from out of the grey rubble“.

But what most people are seeing in these images is less a ‘City in a Park’ and more a ‘City in a Box’.

And they’re right – but not just in the obvious design sense. Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Earthquakes, Free Market, Human Wellbeing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Disdaining democracy

Posted on 25th Apr, 2012 by Puddleglum

Universal Male Suffrage in France - A bad day for economic efficiency

All those years ago – you know, way back when John Key wasn’t the Prime Minister – the populace, so we found out, was getting restless.

Its main complaint about the government of the day was that it was ‘off the leash’ and ‘out of touch’ – doing things that ordinary New Zealanders didn’t want done: The repeal of Section 59; decriminalising prostitution; legislating for civil unions; replacing the Privy Council with the Supreme Court; ‘banning’ food from school tuck shops; suggesting regulating for energy-efficient light bulbs; suggesting regulations on shower-heads, etc..

Yes, the ‘bad old days’ when government didn’t care what ordinary kiwis wanted and just pushed through what some small, ‘non-ordinary’ clique wanted.

I’m tempted to say that it’s “déjà vu all over again“, but that’s not quite right.

This time – with this government – public opinion is being over-ridden not for ‘social’ and ‘environmental’ reasons (e.g., protecting children, human rights, national sovereignty, public health, lower energy use, etc.) but for ‘rational’ economic reasons (e.g., economic efficiency, foreign investment, reducing debt, etc.). Continue reading →

Posted in Democracy, Economics, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

California dreaming

Posted on 22nd Apr, 2012 by Puddleglum

The City of SLO

If the future form of Christchurch’s central city now hangs in the balance, the outcome will depend upon the weightings given to two quite distinct sets of ‘instincts’ about how to create a vibrant, sustainable, thriving city centre.

One set is clearly being backed by the government – at least in its rhetoric. It amounts to a belief in a ‘business-led’ recovery in which individual property owners and businesses are given as much leeway as possible to make decisions about their land and buildings.

It is for this reason that, as I posted previously (here and here), Volume 2 of the Central City Plan developed by the Christchurch City Council has been “put to one side” while the Central City Development Unit develops its ‘blueprint’ over the next ninety-odd days.

Specifically, what are being put aside are the proposed regulations that would affect building heights, designs and parking options as these may be “a barrier to achieving the objectives of that [Central City] plan” (Minister Brownlee on CTV’s ‘One on One’ interview, 19 April). Also being set aside – this time from Volume 1 – are the ‘visions’ around transport options and financing.

The other ‘instincts’ are that it is the people of Christchurch, not just the business and property-owning community, that will, collectively, know how best to create a city that will have the kind of human vitality and vibrance to both draw people here – to visit – and keep those here, to live and flourish.

That was the ‘philosophy’ presumably underpinning the very idea of developing a ‘vision’ (Volume 1 of the Central City Plan) that arose out of community consultation.

The critical question, then, is “Does ‘business’ or the community know best what needs to be done and how to ‘lead’ a recovery?”

More simply, what will shape Christchurch’s city centre – the market or democracy? Continue reading →

Posted in Earthquakes, Economics, Free Market, Freedom, Human Wellbeing, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Devils, details, dark arts and Trojan horses – Update

Posted on 20th Apr, 2012 by Puddleglum

If confirmation were needed that “putting to one side” volume 2 of the Central City Plan is because the rules and regulations in them will be neutered, then here it is.

Jo Kane on CTV’s ‘One on One‘ interview programme nails the important point – the rules and regulations have been looked at by CERA – and Brownlee – and the conclusion (already) is that, in the Minister’s own words, they need to be “finessed to make sure that they aren’t going to be, of themselves, a barrier to achieving the objectives of that [Central City] plan” (about 9mins55secs in the video).

The interesting stuff – in terms of the rules and regulations – starts at around 7min45s into the video.

A very good interview and very direct style of interviewing.

Well done Jo Kane.

Posted in Earthquakes, Economics, Free Market, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Devils, details, dark arts and Trojan horses

Posted on 19th Apr, 2012 by Puddleglum

A Cassandra moment

Allow me a Cassandra moment.

Like the Trojans in the midst of a decades long war, living in Christchurch is, for many people, an experience with precious little long-term hope.

Many people have, however, invested a good deal of hope in the Central City Plan as a sign that a positive post-quake future is possible, much as the Trojans wanted to think that that nice wooden horse out on the plains was a sign of peace in our time.

When CERA was established, the Christchurch City Council was given responsibility to develop the ‘Draft Recovery Plan’ for the central city and deliver that plan to the Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery.

After having the plan in his possession for four months, Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister, Gerry Brownlee, now appears to have endorsed the plan.

Certainly, the shoppers interviewed by Charley Mann are told, categorically, by Mann, that the government has accepted the Central City Plan.

But, as John Hartevelt correctly notes, if you read the full transcript of the Minister’s speech,

Half of it [the plan] has been set aside and chunks of the other half also put on hold.

And;

The job of implementing the bits the Government has accepted rests squarely now with – wait for it – the Government.

My ‘Cassandra moment’?

Well, you don’t get a full, pungent ‘whiff’ of it until you look more closely. Continue reading →

Posted in Earthquakes, Economics, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Christchurch’s Second Coming

Posted on 8th Apr, 2012 by Puddleglum

And what rough beast?

“And what rough beast, its hour come round at last

Slouches toward [Christchurch] to be born?”

The ground is now being prepared for the future incarnation of Christchurch. What comes our way will bear the marks and influences of the quality of that preparation – for good or ill.

From almost any social, political, community or individual vantage point the ‘soil’ now being prepared for Christchurch’s rebirth looks increasingly toxic.

Demolition orders and red zone designations descend from on high like the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments – immutable, unchallengeable, unreviewable and their origin unknowable (or, at least, unrevealed).

This weeekend, Roger Sutton (CEO of CERA) confirmed that there will be no review of red-zoning decisions while, at the same time, more red zone residents – ordinary people – are realising they’re up against a kind of unbridled power they never thought could be exercised on such a scale in New Zealand.

There’s little accountability for – and therefore understanding of – the decisions being made as part of the so-called Canterbury earthquake recovery.

This is a recipe for producing a disaster rather than for recovering from one. Continue reading →

Posted in Earthquakes, Economics, Fascism, Freedom, Human Wellbeing, New Zealand Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments